


Love is Wise

by Bunhime



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M, This is like. Sickly sweet fluff.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:54:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21627172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bunhime/pseuds/Bunhime
Summary: Percy wears his heart on his sleeve, and Annabeth always knows what he's thinking. Including when he's about to propose.I haven't yet read HOO so if anything is wrong, I do apologize!
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Kudos: 51





	Love is Wise

Years after the second war, things had calmed down measurably for Percy and Annabeth. They had both managed to graduate high school, alive, and in one piece. Afterwards, they had decided to go to college- for Annabeth it was an easy choice, but Percy hadn’t been so sure. He had spent so long focused on just surviving and not bringing Olympus down that he hadn’t put much thought into a career or his future beyond that. But he always knew Annabeth would be there.

Surprisingly enough- his step-dad had been the one to help him decide on what to study. Paul and Percy had started talking over cereal one morning. It had started with Percy asking how Paul liked teaching- and it slowly evolved from there. Percy realized that it sounded like a pretty good deal. Sure, kids could be a huge pain to deal with- he had been a middle schooler not that long ago, and still had to train plenty of them at camp- but truthfully he enjoyed seeing kids he worked with grow and become more confident, the same way that he had under Chiron. 

It seemed a bit on the nose to teach Greek mythology, but Percy had never minded a bit of irony. 

Annabeth was proud of him for making that decision- as the daughter of Athena, of course she would encourage continued education. Then, the question of where to apply came up. Neither of them wanted to leave New York, so they began to apply for colleges within the state, helping one another with applications and interviews. It was a long, stressful process- but when acceptance letters finally came in, they cheered and hugged, and sent an extra prayer of thanks to the gods. Their schools were fifteen minutes away from one another- but two hours away from Sally’s apartment. 

Luckily, Sally and Paul had understood when Percy announced that he was planning to find an apartment with Annabeth closer to school. Estelle was a bit upset- but when Percy promised that she would get to keep one of his hoodies, she calmed down. 

The apartment hunting was easy enough- and Annabeth had a lot of fun decorating the place. Percy stayed away from that- although him and Grover got the pleasure of moving the furniture itn. Neither of them minded, and in fact the apartment quickly became home for Grover just as much as Percy and Annabeth. It was only one bedroom, but there was a perfect satyr-sized spot on their couch, and a box of microwavable burritos in the freezer. They had built a nice life up. 

Annabeth had known, since winter break of their senior year, that she wanted to marry Percy. She had waited until they started living together to make any plans, however. She’d heard stories- couples that seemed perfect, and then realized that they couldn’t stand living together. Of course, her and Percy had basically lived together on the road, during quests before. But living with Percy, cooking with him, and waking up next to him only solidified her wishes. 

Annabeth was never one to care much for traditional gender roles. She had planned to take Percy’s last name when they married, sure, but that was her choice, not anyone else’s. Point being, she didn’t really believe that Percy had to be the one to buy a ring and propose to her. On trips to the mall, the two had visited jewelry stores and talked about rings before, and she had made plans for how to do it- a trip to Montauk beach, just the two of them. Maybe a picnic, where she could pull out the little black box when the moment seemed right. It had been a great plan, until Percy ruined it. 

Well, ruined it was a strong word. If Annabeth wanted, she could have gone through with her plan- but she knew that Percy was planning to pop the question, and she knew it months before it happened. 

He had bought the ring while she was at school one day, she guessed. But he started being cagey about the drawer in his bedside drawer- something that Annabeth would have never snooped in if he hadn’t made her curious. Honestly. She saw the little black box, but she didn’t open it- she did want to be surprised still. Conveniently, around the time that box appeared, Percy started asking about plans for spring break. He wanted to take Annabeth to the Hoover Dam- and he planned to fly there, which is how Annabeth knew this meant a lot to him. His uncle had chilled out a lot on the whole wanting to strike Percy out of the sky- but he was still pretty nervous about flying.

It was written all over Percy’s face that he was planning to propose there. And Annabeth decided to let Percy have his moment, and not steal his thunder. Pun intended. 

The Friday before spring break, most of the students were abuzz with excitement. Being a freshman, this was Annabeth’s first college spring break. Many of her friends and classmates wanted to go wild, party, drink a little (or a lot) and enjoy a “real” college spring break. None of that sounded appealing to her, period. Even if Percy hadn’t planned a trip for the two of them, Annabeth would have been content to spend her free time reading, visiting museums in the city, and taking a day to see Percy’s (mortal) family.

The flight was scheduled for Saturday morning, and Annabeth was counting down the hours until they left as she finished some last-minute packing. Percy had gone to grab coffee for the three of them, leaving Grover (who was there to hang out) and Annabeth to chat for a bit. Grover was trying his hardest to keep his best friend’s secret- but Annabeth could tell he was holding back. 

“I think you’ll really like it- I mean obviously you’re really interested in that stuff and Percy will- I mean, never mind. Um, you know those angels? Yeah, they don’t seem to like when people rub their toes. I mean, when we were there we had Thalia and she just had to pray for their help so we didn’t have to do that. But I wouldn’t recommend it anyways” He finished, before sticking another bit of aluminum in his mouth. 

Finally, Annabeth was tired of his constant stuttering. “Grover. Relax. I know Percy is gonna propose” She sighed happily. “I’ve known for a while”

“Wha- Percy? Ha, no no no” Grover tried to deny, before finally admitting to it. “Okay. Yeah. He is” As if Annabeth needed to be told. “But don’t tell him you know!”

“I won’t. I’ll act sufficiently surprised. And I haven’t seen the ring yet either” Annabeth reassured the goat. “I can read him like a book. Like a person without dyslexia can read a book, to be specific. I’m excited for it” She smiled. Before Grover could say another word, the door opened, and Percy walked through, immediately silencing the prior conversation. 

Despite knowing what was coming, landing in Nevada made Annabeth almost forget about it. She had seen plenty of pictures and documentaries of the state and the architecture, but being right up in it was completely different. She could see the details and the structural supports up close, and take lots of notes and pictures. Despite Percy feigning embarrassment, he was happy to see her so excited, her eyes bright and soaking it all in. 

The two had chosen a small, classy hotel to stay at. Money wasn’t much of an issue (Annabeth had gotten a great scholarship, and Percy’s family was well off enough), but they didn’t need anything more extravagant. Their first day in town they took it easy- ate, walked around a shopping center, took plenty of pictures (including selfies for both sets of parents), and took note of museums in the area to visit later. 

Sunday was the big day. 

Annabeth got up early, stomach nearly bubbling in excitement. Mostly to finally see the Hoover Dam, if she were being honest. Percy, Grover, and Thalia had tried to describe it to her- but they seemed to have more memories of monsters and the bronze angels coming to life than the actual structure. Pictures could never do it justice- she had to see it for herself. 

She got showered and dressed quickly, making sure her hair was extra neat and putting a bit of makeup on- not too much, because she had learned that seemed to freak Percy out. It wasn’t her thing anyways. As she dragged him out the door, she noticed the brunette patting both pockets- one for Riptide, and one for a small black box, if she had to guess. 

Annabeth was practically bouncing in her seat as Percy drove their rental car to the monument. He hardly had time to park before Annabeth was out of the car, snapping pictures and pointing out details to Percy that he knew he wouldn’t have seen on his own. It was everything that Annabeth had ever dreamed of and more. 

Standing on top of the dam, looking down- she could imagine the process it must have taken to construct the dam. She could see blueprints and design in her mind, almost as if she had been the one to draw them out. A small voice in the back of her mind reminded her- that some day she could do something like this. This big, or maybe even bigger. All the tourists surrounding them- some day they might be exploring something that she had designed. Taking pictures and looking up the history of something with her signature on it. 

She was so deep in thought, letting her imagination run wild, that when she heard a soft “Annabeth” to her side, she jumped. When she looked over, there she saw it- Percy, the man she’d known for six years now and had loved for three, on one knee, holding open a small black box with a gorgeous silver ring with a large, tear-drop shaped smoky quartz nestled inside. 

“Annabeth” He started again, eyes already wet, voice a bit watery. “We’ve been on.. More adventures already than I ever thought I’d get to go on. We’ve been all around the country and… more. But I want to go one more adventure with you. Will you marry me?” He finished. 

Annabeth could barely speak- because she knew she’d start crying. Still, she managed to squeak out “Yes”, while throwing her arms around Percy. As they kissed, a few people who had witnessed the scene began to clap, and Annabeth’s cheeks burned red. She wouldn’t have had it any other way. 

Percy pulled away first, to take Annabeth’s hand and slip the ring on her finger. “Look” He said softly, turning the ring to catch the light. Inside the gemstone was an etched owl. Annabeth had thought her smile couldn’t get any bigger- and yet, it did. 

“It’s gorgeous. It’s perfect. I’m- Gods” She laughed, speechless with joy. “Thank you” She finally finished. That was lame. 

“I would have done it sooner, over winter break- but I had to ask your mom for her blessing and she’s harder to get a hold of than your dad” He admitted. 

“You… You asked my mom?” She asked, bewildered. “Of course. Of course you did” She laughed again, shaking her head. That was just… so Percy. 

“She answered eventually!” Percy said, in his defense. “Surprisingly, she said yes too. Your dad was much more excited” He shrugged. “My mom almost cried when I told her” He explained. 

“Yeah. That doesn’t surprise me. Her sweet baby boy, finally growing up to be a married man” She joked, ruffling Percy’s hair that had grown long in college. 

“Hey!” He exclaimed, reaching up to fix his hair. Then, something in the water seemed to catch his eye, and he leaned over the side of the railing, before waving his hand as if to shoo something, or somebody, away. 

“Who was that?” Annabeth asked, still admiring the ring on her finger. She’d be showing it off for the next few weeks. 

“A couple of dryads. I don’t know how they found out this was happening but- they got a little show” He snickered. “I’m sure Tyson’ll get the news soon. Maybe dad” 

Annabeth nodded in agreement. “We can make all the announcements later. Come on, fiancee. You promised me the tour, and I still want to see it” She insisted, grabbing his hand. Percy followed along, still lovestruck with the women he would soon get to call his wife. As they passed by the bronze angels dedicated to Zeus, Percy could swear that one winked at him.

**Author's Note:**

> A reference for the ring Percy gave Annabeth- https://antoanetta.com/products/emerald-cut-smoky-quartz-engagement-ring-with-black-diamonds-halo-14k-rose-gold
> 
> My girlfriend re-ignited my hyper fixation on PJO and greek mythology so this is dedicated to her :)


End file.
